Old School RuneScape has gone through one of its most transformative years ever, especially when it comes to skilling. With the arrival of Sailing and a steady stream of updates, Jagex has quietly added a huge number of new training methods across multiple skills. Some of these methods are not just viable alternatives-they're competitive, profitable, and in RuneScape gold some cases, outright meta-defining.

Rather than listing everything added, this guide focuses on the strongest and most practical new training methods introduced over the past year that you should seriously consider incorporating into your 2026 progression.

Crafting: Spinning New Yarns

One of the most unexpectedly strong additions is yarn crafting, introduced alongside Sailing. Both hemp yarn and cotton yarn are extremely competitive at their respective levels and, surprisingly, profitable.

At 39 Crafting, you can spin hemp yarn, reaching around 100,000 Crafting XP per hour while still making money. At 73 Crafting, cotton yarn pushes this even further, offering up to 170,000 XP per hour with profits that can reach around 1 million RuneScape gold per hour, depending on market prices.

The process couldn't be simpler: buy hemp or cotton balls from the Grand Exchange and spin them at a spinning wheel. The most convenient location is the spinning wheel at Neas Retreat, unlocked after Children of the Sun. It's right next to a bank, making this one of the smoothest crafting loops currently in the game.

For players willing to trade a bit of profit for efficiency, Fossil Island offers a spinning wheel and a loom side by side. Spinning yarn and immediately converting it into sail components slightly increases XP rates while reducing downtime.

Thieving: Port Roberts Market Stalls

Port Roberts introduced one of the most unique and low-intensity thieving methods in OSRS. Accessible at 50 Sailing, this method works at nearly any Thieving level and scales exceptionally well.

Market stalls here never deplete and automatically restock, but rotating guards will catch you if they get too close. The optimal strategy is the "4-2 method": loot your primary stall four times, switch to a secondary stall for two loots, then return. This keeps you safe while maximizing XP.

At around 65 Thieving, once you unlock the spice stall, you can expect roughly 120,000 XP per hour, scaling up to 250,000 XP per hour at higher levels when using top-tier stalls. A nearby bank deposit box also makes this method extremely convenient, especially for Ironmen, who can gather thousands of gems per hour from the gem stall.

Woodcutting: Ironwood Logs

Ironwood logs may completely reshape the Woodcutting meta. Requiring 80 Woodcutting, these trees are comparable to redwoods but offer higher XP and earlier access.

They're best chopped on cheap Runescape gold Sunble Island, which you can reach by sailing. While you can grow ironwood yourself via Farming, naturally spawned trees allow Forestry participation, making the method far more AFK and rewarding.